98 replies to this topic

[The Shark]

I thought Rory Kinnear was exactly right - and screams modern day ex British Army.

He screams more Labour MP for Lewisham to me, or perhaps veteran of the British army catering service.

[Guy Haines]

I thought Rory Kinnear was exactly right - and screams modern day ex British Army.

He screams more Labour MP for Lewisham to me, or perhaps veteran of the British army catering service.

Could be ex-Labour MP by now. Or, alternatively, a member of our new Blue/Yellow coalition? (does this mean, in Bond 23, that "M" will be answerable to a Tory minister or a Lib-Dem, or both? )

[Safari Suit]

Tanner:

Not that interesting on the page

Even less interesting on the screen

Just like Leiter (for the most part)

I hath spaketh

[Trident]

Tanner:

Not that interesting on the page

Even less interesting on the screen

Just like Leiter (for the most part)

I hath spaketh

Not sure I agree with the page assessment. In my view, Tanner is the character who is in fact closest to Fleming's real-life role as assistant to the DNI. And I find it interesting that Fleming brought him up at all, for Tanner had no real purpose, IIRC, aside from providing scenes for information/dialogue.

[David Schofield]

And I find it interesting that Fleming brought him up at all, for Tanner had no real purpose, IIRC, aside from providing scenes for information/dialogue.

Not necessarily true. Fleming uses Tanner to humanise Bond by making him Bond's friend, by going out for boysy lunches, etc.

Of course, cinema-Bond - Craig version at least - according to QOS doesn't "have any friends".

What a sad bastard.

[Trident]

And I find it interesting that Fleming brought him up at all, for Tanner had no real purpose, IIRC, aside from providing scenes for information/dialogue.

Not necessarily true. Fleming uses Tanner to humanise Bond by making him Bond's friend, by going out for boysy lunches, etc.

Of course, cinema-Bond - Craig version at least - according to QOS doesn't "have any friends".

What a sad bastard.

Valid point about humanising, although it's not really shown, just mentioned, so I think the meals with Kerim Bey, drinks with Leiter or Columbo do more in that regard.

I suppose film Bond could be seen as at the start of his career, so that could give room for a developing friendship with Tanner, although I'm sure we will never see more of that than a half-sentence or so. Storytelling in films is a different business than on the page and there are things that are better left out if they don't actually help along the plot. And I don't really see a film Bond plot that spins around Bond's pivotal friendship with Tanner.

[David Schofield]

I suppose film Bond could be seen as at the start of his career, so that could give room for a developing friendship with Tanner, although I'm sure we will never see more of that than a half-sentence or so. Storytelling in films is a different business than on the page and there are things that are better left out if they don't actually help along the plot. And I don't really see a film Bond plot that spins around Bond's pivotal friendship with Tanner.

I agree that I doubt we'll ever see a big film role for Tanner.

However, using the Fleming-uses-Tanner-as-Bond's-friend-to-humanise-him idea, surely it wouldn't have been beyond the wit of EON to have subtle hints at that in the films?

Brosnan calling Kitchen Bill, for example, Kitchen giving a hint he was pleased to see his old friend again? Craig even acknowledging the existence of Kinnear-Tanner: a warm, knowing smile across M's room, anything like that, in the context of the misery that is at the heart of QOS, would have done wonders for softening Bond's character.

Oh, and getting rid if the "I don't have any friends" crap, too.

[Trident]

I suppose film Bond could be seen as at the start of his career, so that could give room for a developing friendship with Tanner, although I'm sure we will never see more of that than a half-sentence or so. Storytelling in films is a different business than on the page and there are things that are better left out if they don't actually help along the plot. And I don't really see a film Bond plot that spins around Bond's pivotal friendship with Tanner.

I agree that I doubt we'll ever see a big film role for Tanner.

However, using the Fleming-uses-Tanner-as-Bond's-friend-to-humanise-him idea, surely it wouldn't have been beyond the wit of EON to have subtle hints at that in the films?

Brosnan calling Kitchen Bill, for example, Kitchen giving a hint he was pleased to see his old friend again? Craig even acknowledging the existence of Kinnear-Tanner: a warm, knowing smile across M's room, anything like that, in the context of the misery that is at the heart of QOS, would have done wonders for softening Bond's character.

Oh, and getting rid if the "I don't have any friends" crap, too.

Surely an option for the future, yes. But I'm uncertain about QOS. The (potential) friend here was definitely Mathis, although both had too little time for an actual friendship. Tanner as Bond's friend inside the SIS would have been largely superfluous in that story that saw already M as bordering on clucking. M and Tanner would have been too much of a fuss.

[David Schofield]

Tanner as Bond's friend inside the SIS would have been largely superfluous in that story that saw already M as bordering on clucking. M and Tanner would have been too much of a fuss.

But with far less subtext to it than the M-Craig Bond dynamic.